Discount levels fall as order values rise: how we shopped online during Black Friday

Analysis of more than 7m transactions carried out over the Black Friday discounting bonanza has revealed that  average online discounts fell by 12% compared to 2016, while average order values were up 9%.

As well as the average order value increasing, the average number of items per order was also up by 7%, according to data compiled by customer relationships experts Optimove.

“As the numbers come in after Black Friday, it is clear that more shoppers are opting to buy online rather than in-store. Which is why it is more important than ever that retailers understand the behaviours and motivations of their online customers," said Optimove CEO Pini Yakuel.

“Contrary to traditional analysis of the Black Friday phenomenon, our data shows that most of the individuals shopping with a brand on the day are actually returning, rather than completely new, customers. On Black Friday last year, our research showed that 71% of shoppers had bought something from the brand before at some stage. And this trends continues," he said.

Yakuel said these figures went some way towards debunking the myth that discounting events, such as Black Friday, do not help engender loyalty among consumers.

"This year, the share of Black Friday transactions which were made by first-time shoppers decreased by a further 18 percent. Customers’ pre-existing contact with a brand goes some way towards explaining why shoppers have been willing to buy more items without such high discounts this year.

“Despite the supposed ‘death’ of customer loyalty, driven in part by the ease of price comparison online, there are signs that days like Black Friday may be helping retailers to keep customers coming back to their brand. The challenge for retailers is to continue building on this relationship outside of the pre-Christmas and sales period.

“If retailers can continue to exchange value with their online customers – offering specific offers, personalised communications and experiences – then these positive trends can continue into the sparser months, January and beyond,” he explained.